Veterinary Referral Clinician - Ophthalmology

At inspiring vet care, our people are at the heart of everything we do. As the UK’s number one vet care provider, we're trusted with the care of over 2 million animals, delivering our purpose of healthier animals and happier owners.

South Devon Veterinary Hospital & Referrals is a well-established hospital and referral centre based in Abbotskerswell, on the edge of Newton Abbot, Devon. Our purpose-built hospital provides referral services across Ophthalmology, Orthopaedics, CT scanning and Cardiology, with a highly experienced nursing team providing 24-hour inpatient care.

Our Ophthalmology service has a dedicated theatre with a full range of specialist equipment, including slit lamps, AMO Whitestar Phaco, tonometers, an operating microscope, Fundus camera, indirect ophthalmoscopes and high-resolution ocular ultrasound. The wider hospital also benefits from an onsite CT scanner, digital X-ray, videoscopes, fibre bronchoscopy, rigid endoscopy, laparoscopy and thoracoscopy equipment, ultrasound and comprehensive patient monitoring.

You’ll become an integral member of our small and passionate Ophthalmology team, which includes an ECVO Diplomate, with the opportunity to manage a varied caseload and contribute to the continued development of the service. Our wider team includes 9 Vets supported by 15 RVNs, 3 SVNs, 3 VCAs and an experienced reception and management team.

Perfectly positioned between Dartmoor and the South Devon coastline, the hospital offers an excellent location for enjoying both the coast and countryside. Newton Abbot is a thriving market town, with the M5 and nearby rail links providing direct connections to Exeter, Bristol, London and Cornwall.

Practice Highlights

• Dedicated Ophthalmology theatre with specialist diagnostic and surgical equipment
• Referral services across Ophthalmology, Orthopaedics, CT scanning and Cardiology
• Purpose-built hospital with 24-hour inpatient nursing care and advanced diagnostic and surgical facilities

How You’ll Make a Difference As a Veterinary Ophthalmologist, you will deliver advanced veterinary care within a referral setting, managing challenging ophthalmology cases and providing clinical advice and support to colleagues.

You’ll work collaboratively within the Ophthalmology and wider hospital team to deliver outstanding patient and client care, while supporting the development of colleagues through guidance and knowledge sharing. You’ll have the opportunity to shape your own caseload, contribute to the development of the Ophthalmology service and work closely with the Practice Director to promote clinical best practice across our sites.

Working Pattern

• Full-time or part-time opportunities available, working up to 32 hours per week
• Flexible working patterns can be discussed to suit both you and the needs of the service
• The service operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, with participation in the out-of-hours rota alongside colleagues to provide shared OOH cover

Key Responsibilities

• Deliver high-quality ophthalmology care across a varied referral caseload
• Manage and develop your own caseload, including challenging ophthalmic cases
• Deliver high standards of clinical and surgical care within the Ophthalmology service
• Provide guidance and development to other members of the clinical team
• Work with the Practice Director to promote clinical best practice and support the continued development of the service

You Might Be a Great Fit If... You are an experienced Veterinary Surgeon with strong clinical expertise and a passion for delivering high-quality care. You’ll bring:

• A Veterinary degree with RCVS registration, or eligibility to register
• Clinical experience as a First Opinion Veterinary Surgeon
• A positive, confident and compassionate approach
• Strong communication and people skills
• Resilience and the ability to stay focused when faced with challenges
• The ability to support and develop other members of the clinical team
• Advanced Practitioner status, or be working towards the qualification, would be particularly welcomed

How We’ll Support You At inspiring vet care, we’re committed to supporting you in delivering advanced clinical care while continuing to grow professionally. When you join us, you’ll benefit from:

• The opportunity to work within a well-supported referral hospital environment with complex and rewarding caseloads
• Access to high-quality facilities, equipment, and multidisciplinary clinical teams
• Support to develop and maintain Advanced Practitioner status
• Funded learning and development, including access to IVC Academy training centres and specialist programmes
• A collaborative, values-led culture focused on care, learning, and continuous improvement

What We Offer Our Team

• 6.6 weeks annual leave inclusive of bank holidays
• Your birthday as a paid day off
• Private medical insurance
• Enhanced family-friendly policies, including maternity, paternity, adoption, shared parental and surrogacy pay
• Generous CPD allowance and certificate support
• BVA membership
• VDS cover
• RCVS fees
• £5,000 relocation allowance
• Healthcare Cash Plan
• Cycle to Work scheme
• Green Cars salary sacrifice scheme
• Voluntary benefits: choose from a range of benefits to suit you
• Discounted staff pet care
• Access to discounts and cashback with hundreds of participating retailers

We’re committed to supporting our people through career development opportunities, wellbeing initiatives and access to world-class learning resources.

Whether you’re just starting out or looking to take the next step in your career, inspiring vet care offers the support, opportunity and community to help you grow.

We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses and identifying potential inconsistencies or verification signals in application materials based on available information. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.